BAKED BRIE EN CROUTE | Gooey cheese in puff pastry!

brie cheese

🥗Healthier: camembert cheese

💰Cheaper: cream cheese

Camembert offers a similar texture and flavor, while cream cheese is more budget-friendly.

puff pastry

🥗Healthier: phyllo dough

💰Cheaper: homemade pastry dough

Phyllo can be lighter, and homemade dough can save costs.

walnuts

🥗Healthier: pecans

💰Cheaper: sunflower seeds

Pecans have a similar flavor profile, while sunflower seeds are more affordable.

honey

🥗Healthier: agave syrup

💰Cheaper: sugar syrup

Agave provides sweetness with lower glycemic impact, while sugar syrup is cost-effective.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over moderate heat.

Add 1 finely diced shallot and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add 1 diced Bosque, Bartlett, or Anjou pear, season with kosher salt and black pepper, and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat.

In a medium-sized bowl, crack 1 room temperature egg and add 1 tablespoon of whole milk. Whisk thoroughly to combine and set aside with a pastry brush.

Roll out thawed puff pastry into a large square on a floured surface.

Trim the corners of the pastry square to make folding easier.

Transfer 2 tablespoons of spicy red pepper jelly into the center of the puff pastry, creating a circle about 5 inches in diameter.

Spread the sautéed pears evenly over the spicy red pepper jelly.

Place the Brie on top of the pears.

Brush the pastry around the cheese with the egg wash.

Fold the pastry over the Brie, tucking and lifting until all the pastry is neatly gathered.

Dab the top with a tiny bit more egg wash.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Invert the wrapped Brie onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush the sides and top with egg wash.

Use seasonal cookie cutters to create shapes from the pastry trimmings and place them on top, brushing with egg wash.

Transfer the Brie to the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden and puffs up.

Once baked, gently lift the Brie and transfer it to a serving board.

Serve with fresh fruit, walnuts, crackers, and additional red pepper jelly on the side.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens